Page 63 of What Fury Brings
Then they both left.
Sanos fumed in the empty room. He stared at the ceiling, and he was surprised that his thoughts quickly drifted from his mutilated ear. It didn’t hurt at all anymore. Not even when he tilted his head to lay his right ear on the pillow.
Which meant he was left to think on other things. If the story Olerra shared with him was true, then the women of Amarra had made themselves cruel and heartless to retaliate against the abuses of men. Sounded like an excuse to be cruel and heartless. To justify doing bad things.
But the question she’d asked earlier rang in his mind.
What reason is there for the way the men of your country treat women?
Because they could.
Because no one had the power to stop them.
So how could he blame the Amarrans for what they’d done to protect themselves? What he’d seen today was no worse than what he’dwitnessed in his own country. The only difference was that the victims were men. It hit harder because it was his own sex being hurt.
Olerra was forcing him to question so much.
Gods, he needed to get out of this place.
Olerra didn’t come for him in the morning. The eunuchs dressed him as usual, thankfully in more clothing now that he wasn’t being punished, and then they took him to what one of them called the gymnasium, which he vaguely remembered Olerra mentioning on their travels to Amarra.
It was entirely bizarre.
Sanos hadn’t thought about what the husbands and consorts did all day while the women went about their work. He never would have pictured this, though.
It was a series of massive rooms with vaulted ceilings. In one, a track went along the outskirts of the room, and men were jogging it. In the center, weight lifting equipment of all kinds was spaced evenly apart. Mirrors covered most of the walls, and Sanos drew closer to one so he could inspect his ear.
He blinked. It didn’t… look terrible. The onyx was small, and he thought it gave him a slight roguish appearance. Gods, but his father would hate it, and that thought made Sanos like it more.
He shouldn’t like it at all, but he reasoned that if he ripped it out, Olerra would only have someone put it back in. He would leave it untouched.
For now.
Continuing his exploration, Sanos found padded chairs and tables in another room. Some of the men played cards or dice. Others simply lounged, talking with one another, drinks or food in hand.
As he traversed deeper, he found a room with easels and paint. Needles and thread. Another with gardening supplies and a glass ceiling. A library with settees and thousands upon thousands of books. Everywhere he went were all manner of arts and crafts to entertain.
His personal escort followed him at a distance, relaxing against the walls of whatever room he chose to occupy. They weren’t the only eunuchs in attendance. Many oversaw the activities taking place. Sanos picked them out because they were the only men who didn’t wear armbands. There were also female guards, relaxed yet holding spears. He had a feeling it wasn’t because anyone tried to escape. No, they were there to break up fights.
Sanos had no intention of causing trouble, and he wasn’t there to make friends. He was biding his time until he could make his escape. Keeping his body fit seemed to be the best course of action. He headed for the weights first. The week in the cart and nights spent practically immovable had taken their toll.
He started with his arms, lifting heavy weights until they were too sore to move. Then he did the muscles of his legs, lying back on a machine and pressing up weights with his feet. He paused to stretch and get some water before deciding a jog might be nice. He didn’t know what the Amarrans did to keep the interior of the gymnasium so much cooler than outside, but it felt nice.
After his first loop, another man joined him on the track.
He didn’t have to turn his head. Sanos could see the bulk of him out of the corner of his eye.
Athon.
Sanos welcomed his appearance, especially since the man’s limp was gone. He thought they might run in silence together. Or that Athon might wish to thank him for the things he’d said. Perhaps he might find a soul who hated this place as much as he did.
“Could you stop being such a prick?” were the first words out of Athon’s mouth.
Sanos almost tripped over his own feet. “Excuse me?”
“You think yourself better than me.”
“No—”
